How Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran Became "Edwina"

So my agent calls me and he says,

tomorrow you've got a chemistry test with Johnny and Simone.

And I'm like, oh, okay.

And then he goes,

yeah, they're not really considering anyone else,

so it's kind of yours.

Hi there, I'm Charithra Chandran

and I play Edwina Sharma in season two of Bridgerton

and here's how I prepared.

[smooth music]

Auditioning for Bridgerton was a very long process,

but it was never very stressful.

So I actually didn't meet any cast members

until rehearsal started,

like dance rehearsals and makeup and costume fittings.

Everything was via zoom.

I do remember the script I read for the audition

and actually they sort of used a code.

So wasn't called Edwina, Edwina was actually called Emily

and Kate was called Amy.

And I can't remember what Lord Bridgerton was called,

but it was something very funny.

And like it was very obvious what it was,

but I loved that they went that extra step

to change the names.

So my audition scenes were both from episode one.

And the first scene was where Kate and Edwina

discuss their journey to London

and what they expect from the season before

the pastoral ball,

which is the first ball of the entire season.

And then the second scene,

which is very special to me

is after Edwina's been crowned the diamond of the season

and she has her first dance with Lord Bridgerton

and he's sort of interrogating her,

seeing if she's a suitable match

and she proves to be more than capable.

Do you play any musical instruments by chance?

[chuckling]

Many in fact,

but for the most part, my education was taken up

by more serious pursuits.

Modern languages, classical literature, I do love to read.

So I found out I essentially got the role

when I was gardening in the allotment with my mom.

Oh, and by the way, I hadn't heard about Bridgerton

or anything from, you know, the team for weeks.

So I just assumed nothing came of it.

So my agent calls me and he says,

tomorrow you've got a chemistry test with Johnny and Simone.

And I'm like, oh, okay.

And then he goes,

yeah, they're not really considering anyone else

so it's kind of yours.

But then like a month into filming,

I actually found out

the TV show I was on prior to Bridgerton,

the whole costume department at that TV show knew

because they were getting my measurements.

So it was like everyone around me knew before I did.

So how did I prepare for the role?

Unfortunately, my character doesn't get to do

many like active things.

I wish I learnt how to horse ride,

but alas, Edwina doesn't.

But what was really fun was doing the dancing.

When else do you get an opportunity to learn how to waltz

and quaddrille and, you know do the allemande,

which are all dancers that I had to do.

Our choreographer, Jack was so patient and kind

and he helped us through it.

And that's actually the first time I met Johnny

was when we were practicing for our waltz.

Also, I did have to learn how to sort of sit

and carry myself like a lady,

which definitely does not come naturally to me.

So yeah, that took a bit of practice.

But I will say, once you put on the corset

and the dress and the wig,

you kind of embody that sort of aura

and that personality, you just hold yourself differently.

So that helps.

How I sort of mentally prepared for the character

is I write down her entire character history.

So where she was born, what her relationships are like,

what her education is like, what are her interests?

What are her core personality traits?

And then I create fake scenarios

that have happened in the past

and write down how I think she would react to that.

I also had discussions with Chris Van Dusen,

the creator and writer of the show,

with the director for each of our episodes.

And so it really is a collaborative, evolving process.

But you will return to visit, of course.

And when the viscount and I are blessed with children,

you shall be their favorite aunt.

Something I really like to do

when I'm preparing for a role is I make a playlist

of all of the songs that I think embody that character

and the kind of emotions that they go through

in each episode.

So right now on Spotify, I do have an Edwina playlist,

which I may or may not make public,

you'll have to see.

So there's no sort of regular day of filming.

It really depends on what kind of scenes we're filming,

whether I'm filming all day or for half a day.

I think an interesting day is probably like a ball scene.

Miss Edwina, might I have your first dance.

Certainly my Lord.

Obviously, because the show

has these magnificent wigs and costumes,

we do spend a lot of time in the hair and makeup chair.

So often I would get picked up at 4,

we're in the makeup chair by 5:00 AM,

hair, makeup, dressing, breakfast

and then we're on set for rehearsals at about 8, 8:30.

And obviously for a ball scene,

it's a big sequence with loads of people.

So we really have to choreograph it and figure out

how it's all gonna flow together,

where everyone's gonna stand, what shots they're gonna do.

And then once rehearsals are over,

we will come back, finish getting ready,

touch ups everything like that

and we start filming.

I am not a little girl anymore, Kate,

I'm a grown woman now, ready to be a wife.

So the timeline of filming Bridgerton,

we actually started in April.

The read through was the 6th of April, I believe.

And we finished end of November.

You have to bear in mind that it's such an elaborate show

with such intricate choreography and sequences,

there are so many people involved

and then with the added component of COVID,

yeah, it takes a long time.

My first day of filming was huge.

It was actually a massive group scene in episode two

at the Royal Ascot, the racing track.

So yeah, I was really pushed into the deep end,

baptism of fire.

But the benefit of that is that everyone was there

so I got to meet all of the cast in one go.

It really was sort of like a reunion almost

and you know obviously it's nerve wracking

to join something new, especially

when everyone else knows each other from before,

but I was made to feel comfortable immediately.

I am pleased to introduce you to Aubrey Hall.

It is a beautiful home.

Thank you so much for inviting us.

So the most exciting thing about my first day on set,

I think it's how nice they treat you.

Like if you want a tea or coffees,

someone's always like happy to bring you one.

And that's really unusual for me

'cause I really like to do everything on my own,

like by myself.

I think the first person I met was either Golda,

who plays the fabulous Queen Charlotte

or Shelly Conn who plays my mum

and they're very dear friends now.

Actually for me, the hardest episodes to film

were one and two,

because Edwina is so different

to what I'm like in real life.

He was interested in everything I had to say, Didi,

in the books I have read, even in the books I have not.

She's very sort of innocent, naive,

she's very prim and proper, ladylike, gentle, kind,

all of the things that I wish I was more of, to be honest.

I think that I'm more outspoken

and independent and boisterous.

So yeah, actually literally the opposite.

Then Edwina takes on some of Charithra's traits by the end

and I really hope that I've taken on some of Edwina's.

From the main cast who is most similar to their characters?

Ooh, that is a good one.

I'd probably say Lukie Newts.

Luke is as sweet, kind and warm as Colin is.

The kind of costume experience was a really special one.

For me, it was actually the first time I cried

as part of my Bridgerton experience

just because that was like

when it became really real, right?

Seeing myself in those empire waistlines

and a beautiful pink gown,

it was really, really special.

And I think once I have my hair in Edwina's updo

and I have my makeup on and my dress on

like I've become the character.

It's a really pivotal, if not the most pivotal part

of the process in becoming Edwina.

I'm really lucky my character has,

all of my characters dresses are beautiful.

I definitely have a favorite one,

which I have asked everyone on set if I can keep,

they've all kind of said yes, but ask someone else.

So they're all sort of passing on the responsibility,

but I am determined to get my favorite dress.

Oh, actually this is a really fun game.

Although Jessie and Freida,

who did my hair and makeup are gonna hate me

for playing this game, but it doesn't matter.

So I had three different sort of things

going on with my hair.

I had a full wig, a front lace wig,

I had hair pieces and then there were some scenes

where it was just my own hair.

So it'll be interesting if the fans can go back

and watch the show and try to pick out

which one was the full wig, which one was the pieces

and which one was just all my own hair.

I learned a lot about compartmentalization.

My character goes through a fair bit this season

and I think sometimes I really let that affect me.

I let that spill over into my real life

and sometimes my, you know,

relationships with friends and family.

So I think that as I sort of gain more experience

in this career, I'll learn how to compartmentalize

screen life and real life.

Undeniably, this is one of the

greatest experiences of my life and I've learned so much.

I mean, for one, I think that I'm just

so much a better performer now

than I was at the beginning of the process.

It was such rigorous filming

and I learned so much from the other cast members

that I thanks to them, I think I'm just a better actor.